After the Soul Swap Between Love Rival AO - Chapter 14

Cheng Luanxin was even more baffled: “Wait, I’m literally here for a dating show. If I’m not thinking about romance, why else would I be here? You’re the weird one here, okay? Are you jealous of me or something?”

Song Qiuchi shot back: “What exactly is there to be jealous of?”

Cheng Luanxin declared confidently: “You’re jealous that Zhiruo held my hand, aren’t you? All these years, Zhiruo’s never held your hand, has she? Plus, she took you to a graffiti art exhibition for your date—clearly, she knows my tastes.”

Song Qiuchi reminded her: “Cheng Luanxin, get this straight—Du Zhiruo had no idea you’d be here when she signed up for this show. She’s doing these things for you now, but if you weren’t here, she’d be doing them for someone else. You’re not that special. If she really liked you, she could’ve reached out to you all those years ago. She didn’t have to wait until now to put on a show for the cameras.”

Cheng Luanxin’s expression gradually fell. Before Song Qiuchi said this, she hadn’t thought about it so deeply—and she had to admit Song Qiuchi had a point.

“Fine, you’re the only one who sees things clearly, okay? Of course I know Du Zhiruo doesn’t like me that much, but can’t I like her? Can’t I pursue her?”

The more she thought about it, the more upset she became, muttering under her breath in a small, aggrieved voice: “Today was supposed to be such a happy day. I was so considerate of you, and all you do is bring me down. Song Qiuchi, you’re really no fun. Do you just hate seeing other people happy?”

Song Qiuchi also felt she’d gone too far and fell silent for a moment: “I’m sorry.”

Cheng Luanxin waved her hand dismissively: “Forget it, forget it. I won’t hold it against you. If I held every little thing against you, I’d have died of anger ages ago. I’m done talking to you—I’m going back to rest.”

Song Qiuchi instinctively grabbed her arm: “Wait a second.”

Cheng Luanxin turned her head: “What, did your conscience finally kick in? Planning to make it up to me?”

Song Qiuchi: “Tomorrow’s the 15th. Remember to bring your suppressants before you go out.”

Cheng Luanxin: “…”

Cheng Luanxin: “If I ever expect anything from you again, I’m an idiot!”

After a long back-and-forth in the courtyard, the two finally returned to their respective rooms.

When Song Qiuchi got back to her room, Du Zhiruo had just finished showering and was drying her hair. Seeing Song Qiuchi enter, she turned off the hairdryer with a smile: “You’re back so late—did you go to see Qiuchi?”

Song Qiuchi was taken aback. “How did you know?”

Du Zhiruo waved her phone. “Just saw it on Weibo. So you and Qiuchi have been in touch all these years.”

Song Qiuchi averted her gaze. “Not that frequently.”

Du Zhiruo asked, “But tomorrow, you’ll choose Song Qiuchi for the date, right?”

Song Qiuchi nodded. “Yeah.”

Du Zhiruo smiled softly. “Seems like I’ve missed out on a lot over the years.”

Unsure how to respond, Song Qiuchi simply gazed quietly back at Du Zhiruo.

With a flicker in her eyes, Du Zhiruo murmured, “If I hadn’t gone away for school, would things have been different between us?”

Looking at Du Zhiruo’s affectionate expression and then recalling Cheng Luanxin’s naive and gullible nature, Song Qiuchi felt a headache coming on. After a moment’s thought, she changed the subject. “I remember you and Qiuchi were close in high school. Why didn’t you invite her today?”

Du Zhiruo replied vaguely, “Things between Qiuchi and me are more complicated than you think.”

Song Qiuchi herself had no idea how it was complicated, assuming Du Zhiruo was just being cryptic again. “Things between Qiuchi and me are also complicated—at least not the kind of relationship you imagine.”

Du Zhiruo paused. “If there’s a chance next time, can I still ask you out?”

Song Qiuchi nodded. “Of course.”

Du Zhiruo smiled. “Good. Thank you for not outright rejecting me.”

The next day, Song Qiuchi arrived early with the crew to meet Cheng Luanxin.

The live stream was already packed with viewers:

Yay! Another day of secret affection between Qiuchi and Luanxin!

At this point, the show doesn’t even need to continue. They can just get married on the spot.

I wonder where Luanbao will take Qiuchi today! So excited!

Just as Cheng Luanxin was about to leave, Song Qiuchi stopped her at the door. “Did you bring it?”

Of course, Cheng Luanxin hadn’t. She feigned ignorance. “Bring what?”

“The suppressants,” Song Qiuchi said calmly. “We agreed I’d help you with the injection today.”

Cheng Luanxin: “…”

Who agreed to this?!

Live chat:

Luanbao even knows about Qiuchi’s rut cycle?! How can anyone deny they’re real?

Seriously, only someone really close would know something like this.

Helping each other with suppressant injections? That’s kinda spicy.

Under the watchful eyes of the romance observers, Cheng Luanxin figured she had no choice but to go along with it. Resigned, she went back inside and pulled out a set of disposable injection equipment from her suitcase, handing it to Song Qiuchi.

Song Qiuchi packed the equipment into her bag. “Let’s go.”

According to Yu Peiyin’s plan, the two were supposed to visit the alley where Cheng Luanxin grew up, see her grandmother, and reminisce about old times.

This posed a bit of a challenge for Song Qiuchi, as she had never been to Cheng Luanxin’s home before. The winding alleys of the old district made her worry she wouldn’t even find the way.

After a moment’s thought, she said, “You lead the way. Let’s see if you still remember how to get there.”

Cheng Luanxin was momentarily stunned, realizing the acting had begun. “No problem, I’ll get us there for sure.”

Live chat:

!!!!!!!! Does this mean Qiuchi has been to Luanxin’s home before?!?!?!

Isn’t it normal for couples to visit each other’s homes? Why the surprise?

The secret affection between Qiuchi and Luanxin is killing me!!

The morning rain had just ceased, leaving the cobblestone path glistening with dampness. Some of the stones were uneven, wobbling underfoot and threatening to splash water with every careless step.

Cheng Luanxin cautioned, “The path here is a bit rough. Follow me and watch your step.”

No sooner had she spoken than Song Qiuchi stepped on a sunken stone, splattering her white pencil pants with tiny flecks of mud.

Cheng Luanxin sighed, pulling a tissue from her bag and crouching to wipe the stains. “I told you to be careful, and now you’re covered in mud.”

As she straightened up, she noticed the director frantically signaling at her from behind, gesturing pointedly toward Song Qiuchi’s hand.

Cheng Luanxin froze. Was the director suggesting… they should hold hands?

Come to think of it, if they were going to play up their “couple” angle, they probably needed more intimate gestures…

But holding hands with Song Qiuchi?

That was just cruel.

Yet the director kept mouthing and miming insistently, so Cheng Luanxin reluctantly asked, “Want to hold hands?”

Song Qiuchi blinked, seemingly caught off guard by the question. After a pause, she silently extended her hand.

Cheng Luanxin lightly grasped Song Qiuchi’s fingers—or rather, her own fingers. It was the first time she realized how soft and warm her own hand felt, almost embarrassingly plump. She barely tightened her grip, merely cradling it gently.

Song Qiuchi lowered her head slightly, lost in thought.

Live comments:

AHHHHHHH THEY FINALLY HELD HANDS I’M DEAD

Even when Qiuchi wiped the mud off Luanxin’s pants just now, it was so sweet

Song Qiuchi seems way too familiar with Cheng Luanxin’s place—must’ve visited a lot

Many households along the alley had converted their storage rooms into small shops, and Cheng Luanxin’s family was no exception.

Their shop sold old-fashioned scented balms, with hundreds of fragrances, each personally extracted and crafted by Cheng Luanxin’s grandmother.

Song Qiuchi had already given Grandma Cheng a heads-up, explaining that the crew would be filming at their home today and that she’d be bringing a high school classmate along.

As a trendy elderly woman, Grandma Cheng was well aware of what dating shows entailed. She vaguely recalled Cheng Luanxin having a crush on someone in high school and assumed today’s guest must be that very person. She had even put on her best makeup, mentally preparing to marry off her granddaughter.

From a distance, she spotted the large crew approaching and beamed. “Luanluan brought a friend home! Welcome, welcome!”

It had been a while since Cheng Luanxin had seen her grandmother. Normally, she’d rush into a big hug upon returning, but today she could only watch from the sidelines, a pang of sadness tugging at her heart.

Grandma Cheng, however, eagerly took Song Qiuchi’s hand. “You must be Qiuchi! Luanluan talks about you all the time. Did you visit before when I wasn’t home? Come in, come in—I’ve prepared some treats for you.”

Cheng Luanxin: “???”

She instinctively shot a glance at Song Qiuchi.

Song Qiuchi remained unflappable. “Let’s go in.”

Cheng Luanxin’s home was a two-story self-built house, meticulously kept by Grandma Cheng. The paintings and flower arrangements showcased her refined taste, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

Grandma Cheng was unusually affectionate toward Song Qiuchi, holding her hand and chattering nonstop.

“Qiuchi, you two were classmates in high school, right? It’s not easy to get along with this stubborn girl for so long. Thank you for taking care of Luanluan all these years.”

“Don’t let our Luanluan’s talkativeness fool you—she’s actually not great at expressing herself. A lot of what she says comes out wrong, so please bear with her.”

“No need to be polite with Grandma. Just take whatever you’d like to eat. These are all Luanluan’s favorites, and you young folks probably have similar tastes. What kind of scented balm do you like? Grandma has plenty here—pick whichever you want.”

Cheng Luanxin felt both touched and embarrassed: “Grandma, you’re too kind. Luanxin has taken good care of me too.”

Later, the two went up to Cheng Luanxin’s room on the second floor. Unlike her messy little apartment in Yunsong, this room had clearly been tidied up by Grandma Cheng. Though small, it was exceptionally cozy, painted in a soft, milky yellow that made it look like a nursery.

Cheng Luanxin pretended to marvel: “Wow, Cheng Luanxin, your room is so cute!”

Song Qiuchi: “…”

Her gaze settled on a row of photo frames on the desk. These photos were quite distinctive—each capturing Cheng Luanxin at different milestones: kindergarten graduation, elementary school graduation, middle school graduation, high school graduation, and university graduation. They perfectly chronicled her growth. In every photo, Grandma stood on the left, Cheng Luanxin on the right, both holding bouquets and beaming brightly.

Cheng Luanxin leaned in closer: “Luanxin, you were so adorable as a kid!”

Song Qiuchi paused: “Do you want to look at the photo album?”